Following up on the news that Bethesda Softworks is working on the next installment of Fallout, we had some pressing questions that needed answering. Fortunately, Bethesda's Pete Hines was kind enough to send along some speedy, if somewhat ambiguous, answers.

Q. While I was overjoyed to hear that Fallout 3 is being given a second lease on life, I am curious about your target ESRB rating. Many gamers still remember that Morrowind was developed as a Teen rated sequel to a historically Mature series, and there is a growing concern that you may do the same to Fallout. Considering that the Fallout franchise has been mature themed in the extreme, what are currently your plans for the game as far as content (ESRB) is concerned?
A. Right now we aren't prepared to talk about specifics. I wouldn't worry about the ESRB thing.

Q. So is it safe to say that we can count on the more mature elements remaining intact?
A. I would hope so. We don't plan to strip out important elements that made Fallout what it is. We want to remain true to the experience that made Fallout, well, Fallout.

Q. When VanBuren was shut down by Interplay, the development team at Black Isle was already well into development. What resources, if any, are you going to be salvaging?
A. I don't know what assets we'll be using from any previous projects.

Q. As a followup to the above, will you be using Black Isle's original Fallout 3 design document?
A. I don't know if anyone in our office has seen that design document and how much of it we'd use or not use. Again, too early to say.

Q. Is the SPECIAL system going to remain intact? What changes are planned?
A. Again, too early, although I will say that as a general rule we plan to remain as true and faithful as possible to what made Fallout such a great and memorable experience.

Q. Will the game be using the faux-2D viewpoint that Black Isle had planned, or do you think you'll be doing something closer to Morrowind?
A. Too early to say for sure, but my guess is we'll want to use technologies that are already being developed, rather than start all over with something new/different, or a style of game that isn't really what we do well.

Based on further info collected from the Bethesda Forums, work on Fallout 3 is pretty much just in the discussion & planning stage. Considering the early stages of the project, Bethesda is being pretty tight-lipped about any projected release dates. That in mind, it's very likely that we won't see a finished product for another two or three years at least.

If I had to venture a guess and add up all this information, it sounds like Bethesda is planning on adapting as much of their Morrowind technologies as possible. Gavin Carter (Associate Producer) explains on the Bethesda forums "We're not making Morrowind with guns! People who think we will never progress beyond Morrowind are going to be in for one hell of a wake-up call."

Also, if Pete's answers to questions 2 & 3 are any hint, we can expect all the grim, grit, and dark humour that made the Fallouts so great. This is good news, indeed.